1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to toy building sets, particularly building sets including a plurality of blocks to be indirectly magnetically and/or frictionally coupled together.
2. The Relevant Technology
Various building sets have been used by children and others for decades for amusement and learning. Sets of blocks include a plurality of variously configured blocks that allow a user to stack the blocks on top of one another in order to form various structures or buildings. Stacking configurations that can be achieved are often limited as a result of gravity.
Other building sets have provided magnets sealed within blocks (e.g., U.S. Publication No. 2010/0242250), and multi-shaped non-metallic bodies employing disc shaped magnets so that two adjacent bodies may be magnetically connected together (e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,749,480 and 5,746,638). U.S. Pat. No. 7,413,493 describes toy magnetic building blocks including a block, a casing affixed to the block, and a magnet within the casing. The magnet allows connections to be made with other similar blocks. As shown in FIG. 10, one embodiment may also include connectors with a collar to mechanically augment magnetic coupling of the blocks, in which narrowed ends of each block are received within opposite halves of the collar.
Such building systems are severely limited in their ability to build relatively realistic building structures such as those employing post and beam construction in which elongate blocks can be secured to one another in an erector like configuration, but in which connections can be more easily achieved (e.g., by a child between about 4 to about 8). As such, even with existing magnetic building systems, there remain difficulties to be overcome.
Together with the following description, the figures demonstrate non-limiting features of exemplary devices and methods. The same reference numerals in different drawings represent similar, though not necessarily identical, elements.